Bar bell disk weight construction



1965 M. D. WALKLET BAR BELL DISK WEIGHT CONSTRUCTION Filed April 15, 1963 INVENTOR. MERCER D. WALKLET zfwy ATTO RNEYS United States Patent 3,226,117 BAR BELL DISK WEIGHT CONSTRUCTION Mercer D. Walklet, Akron, Ohio, assignor to Hamlin Products, Inc., Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 272,904 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-84) This invention relates generally to bar bells utilized for weight lifting exercises, and having disks of various weights mounted on the ends of a bar. More paritcularly, the invention relates to disk weights of improved construction.

Weight lifting exercises have become very popular with boys and young men in the home as well as in the gymnasium.

In exercising with bar bells, the weight lifter performs numerous exercises and assumes variou postures requiring physical balance. Due to improper balance, fatigue or attempts to lift excessive weight, the bar bells are often dropped from varying heights up to the uppermost reach of the performer. Of course, the likelihood of dropping the bar bells is greatly increased with unskilled or untrained performers, and especially in the case of immature boys using bar bells in the home or school gymnasium.

The customary weights are relatively heavy metal plates and when dropped may cause serious injury when striking the foot or any other part of the body, or may cause severe damage to a floor or the like. Further, it is customary to change the weight disks frequently while following a system or schedule of exercises, and each time the weigths are changed there is the likelihood of dropping them with resulting injury or damage. Moreover, the weights are difiicult and expensive to ship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bar bell weight construction which will greatly reduce the likelihood of bodily injury or other damage if the bar bell is dropped.

Another object is to provide an improved bar bell weight construction which has reduced weight during shipment, and is easily adapted to be increased to the desired weight by the user.

A further object is to provide an improved bar bell weight construction which is attractive in appearance and simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other object are accomplished by providing a hollow reinforced bar bell structure of relatively light weight adapted to be filled with a heavy fluid material such as sand or lead shot, a preferred embodiment of the invention being shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the following specification. Variations in construction are included within the appended claims defining the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a bar bell having weights thereon constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing one of the improved weights in cross section, as on line 22 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a plan elevation, partly broken away and in section, of one of the improved Weights.

The bar bell shown in FIG. 1 comprises a metal bar having different size disk weights detachably mounted on each end portion of the bar. Obviously, one disk or more than two disks can be mounted on each end according to the desire of the user. It is customary for the purchaser of a bar bell to purchase sets of different size weights so that weights may be added or removed according to a schedule of exercises or in conformance 3,226,117 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 "ice with the progress of the user toward increasing his strength.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the disks 11 and 12 have axial bores snugly fitting over the bar 10, and may be retained in position thereon by removable collars 13, preferably of plastic material. The collar 13 may be in the form of a plastic tape which adheres to the bar when wrapped around the same.

The construction of disks 12 is the same as that of disks 11 except for dimensions, and accordingly only the construction of disk 11 will be described in detail. Obviously, disks having various dimensions may have the same construction.

Each disk 11 is of hollow molded construction, and may be of rotationally cast vinyl resin in accordance with the method set forth in US. Patent 2,629,134. However, other plastic material may be used and the molding may be done according to other well-known methods if desired. In any case, the hollow article must have adequate resiliency so that when striking an object, as by being dropped on the floor, it will yield and cushion the shock of impact.

Each disk 11 has a central hub which preferably comprises axially spaced annular collar portions 14 connected by a sleeve 15 forming an axial bore for fitting around the bar 10. The bore of sleeve 15 should fit the bar snugly while yet allowing the disk 11 to be easily slid onto and off the end of the bar when the disk 12 and outer collar 13 are removed.

The outer rim or peripheral wall 16 is preferably cylindrical, although it may have other configurations as desired. Axially spaced side walls 17 connect the wall 16 to the collar portions 14 of the hub, and, as shown, the outer wall may have thickened edge portions forming peripheral ribs 18 of substantially the same thickness as the collar portions 14. Thus, the side walls 17 are recessed below the plane of the ribs 18 and collar portions 14. If desired, only one side wall may be recessed.

Substantially midway between the collar portions 14 of the hub and the ribs 18 the side walls are connected by cir-cumferentially spaced hollow posts 20 preferably cast integral with the side walls. Preferably, a series of four posts is provided, although this number may be varied as desired, depending somewhat upon the size of the disk. As shown, the tubular wall of each post may be connected to the side walls by raised annular portions 21, the outer surfaces of which are in the planes of the outer surfaces of the hub portions 14 and ribs 18. If desired, these raised portions may be on one side only of the disk.

A fiill opening 22 is provided in each disk, preferably in the outer peripheral wall 16 as shown, for introducing a fiuid material such as sand or lead shot to increase the weight of the hollow structure to a desired value. A closure plug 23 of rigid or semi-rigid plastic material fits tightly in the fill opening and is preferably provided with a tapered inner annular retainer flange or lip 24 which may be forced inwardly through the resilient wall of opening 21 and then engages behind the wall to prevent withdrawal of the plug except with a prying instrument. The head of the plug is preferably recessed within a counterbore 25 coaxial with opening 21.

In use, the improved disk are shipped or transported empty to the ultimate user with appropriate instructions as to the amount of sand or other heavy fluid material to be introduced to obtain the desired total weight of each disk. After charging the material, the user inserts the plug 23, as shown in FIG. 2. The disks may be fitted on the ends of the bar 10 before or after introducin g the fluid material.

Thereafter, the improved bar bell may be used in the same manner as a conventional bar bell. If at any time the bar bell is accidentally dropped, the resiliency of the improved disk construction will greatly cushion the shock of impact as it strikes the floor, and if it should strike the foot or other part of the body the danger of serious injury is greatly diminished. The reinforcing posts 20 are particularly effective in tying the side walls 17 together when the bar bell is dropped, because otherwise the lateral bulging force resulting from impact would be apt to cause the walls to rupture or tear apart.

Accordingly, the improved disk weight construction provides an inexpensive bar bell of increased safety, attractive appearance, and greatly reduced handling and shipping weight.

What is claimed is:

1. An integral hollow bar bell weight structure of molded resilient plastic material having a hub provided with an axial bore for fitting a bar, an outer cylindrical Wall, spaced parallel side walls connecting said hub and said cylindrical wall, .a plurality of circumferentia'lly spaced hollow reinforcing posts connecting said side walls and integral therewith, .a filling hole in one of said walls for charging fluid material into said structure, and a plug resiliently fitting said hole and having an inner retaining flange.

2. An integral hollow bar bell weight structure of molded resilient plastic material having a hub provided with an axial bore for fitting a bar, an outer cylindrical wall, spaced parallel side walls connecting said hub and said cylindrical wall, a plurality of circumferentially spaced hollow reinforcing posts connecting said side walls and integral therewith, a filling hole in said outer cylindrical wall for charging fluid material into said structure, and a plug resiliently fitting said hole and having an inner retaining flange, the outer surface of said plug substantially flush with the outer surface of said outer cylindrical wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,965 12/1908 Calvert 272'84 2,447,218 8/ 1948 Trzesniewski 27284 l2,959,820 1 1/ 1960 Miller et al. 27752 X 3,171,652 3/1965 Newman 277-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,305 1/1939' Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner. 

1. AN INTEGRAL HOLLOW BAR BELL WEIGHT STRUCTURE OF MOLDED RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A HUB PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL BORE FITTING A BAR, AN OUTER CYLINDRICAL WALL, SPACED PARALLE SIDE WALLS CONNECTING SAID HUB AND SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED HOLLOW REINFORCING POSTS CONNECTING SAID SIDE WALLS 